HA TINH – Paralyzed with both arms since birth, for decades Pham Van Cam, in Ky Anh district, has lived on his own, working as a birdcage to earn money.
Mr. Pham Van Cam lives alone in a four-level house of about 60 m2 in Le Loi village, Ky Xuan commune, Ky Anh district.
On a land of thousands of square meters left by ancestors, in addition to Mr. Cam’s house, there are three other works. In front is the house of the fourth brother, on the side are two more than 50 m2 fourth-level apartments of mother and sister.
Mr. Cam is the third child in a family of 5 siblings. Since he was born, he was paralyzed in both hands, his legs were constricted, it was difficult to walk, he couldn’t speak properly.
The 52-year-old man is warm-hearted, loves nature and animals. In his house, he planted flowers at the entrance, raised cuckoos as “friends” to talk to.
Ms. Pham Thi Cuong (84 years old, Mr. Cam’s mother) said that the husband and wife work in the fields and the economy is difficult, so they do not have enough money to treat their children to their destination. From childhood to adulthood, Cam was sick and dying many times, but later overcame it.
“Watching my child grow up with an unhealthy body, many nights I couldn’t sleep, I could only turn my back to the wall and cry. As a mother, I wanted to do many things for him, but my finances were tight, so I was helpless.” , Ms. Cuong said, and said that her son is weak in communication but very bright, often watching people work and then using his two feet to imitate.
As a child, Mr. Cam lived with his father in a house located at the foot of the mountain in Ky Xuan commune. When his father died of a stroke, he moved back to live in Le Loi village.
Previously, every day, his father made birdcages to sell to earn money for his family, Cam observed and followed with two feet. In the early days of work, his feet were full of wounds caused by knives, bamboo sticks, and bamboo.
“One day, I could only pick up a bamboo slat in the afternoon, and I was discouraged to give up another job. At the age of 19, I began to master it, controlling all things with my toes,” said Mr. Cam.
Mr. Cam often walks to the market near his house to buy bamboo and take it home to make a cage.
Many people found him difficult to move, so many times he drove a motorbike to help carry materials home, and also gave some tools such as chisels, saws, brushes… to serve the job.
Mr. Cam makes a birdcage according to order, it takes about 15 days to complete one, selling for 70,000-200,000 VND. Many customers when they come to buy, find that the situation is double the money to support.
In the picture are 3 bird cages made by Mr. Cam many months ago. These he did not sell, kept to feed cuckoos and babblers.
After being instructed by his relatives, after many years, Mr. Cam knew how to use his feet to use many electrical appliances in the house.
Every day he wakes up early to clean the house, cook rice. Before doing these things, Mr. Cam approached the faucet, applied soap on his feet, washed it several times to clean it, and then poured the rice into the pot to wash it.
Mr. Cam does not need help with his daily meals. “I’m unlucky to be a normal person, but I can’t be a useless person, will always try to improve myself day by day,” he said.
With each job, Mr. Cam always creates a favorable position for his body to perform. In the photo, he had just finished washing a basin of clothes, because he had not prepared a chair, he turned the plastic bucket upside down to make a place to dry.
In his spare time, the 52-year-old man takes out a plastic chair to sit in front of the yard, using a hose to take care of bonsai. On Tet holiday, he often gives bonsai to his brothers and relatives.
Before going to bed for lunch or dinner, Mr. Cam often turns on the TV to watch many programs. Valuable possessions such as televisions, refrigerators, and fans were purchased from his many years of accumulation and a few supported by relatives.
Ms. Pham Thi Cuong shared, her son is entitled to a social allowance of more than 500,000 VND a month, this money together with the effort to earn extra money from selling bird cages is enough to cover, not to lack.
“She’s sick, so it’s almost impossible to get married. The children are also not rich, but they always promise that when their mother dies, they will always support and encourage Cam when the weather is up and down.” Ms. Cuong said.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Chung, Chairman of Ky Xuan Commune People’s Committee, assessed that Mr. Cam always knows how to surpass himself and is an example for everyone to follow. Follow vnexpress